The stabbing of a teacher at a school in Leeds this week has sent shockwaves throughout the country.

The impact of the circumstances surrounding Spanish teacher Ann Maguire’s horrific death has especially been felt within educational establishments where the subject of security has now been raised.

But one Bradford teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous, doesn’t think stepping up security in schools is the answer and believes it could lead to teaching staff feeling vulnerable.

“There is that element of uncertainty. I would say it has definitely changed from when I was at school. Sometimes you go and have a lovely day and then there are moments when you feel vulnerable and that is always in the back of teachers’ minds,” she says, referring to occasions when she has stepped in to break up pupils who were fighting without contemplating the potential implications to her own safety.

“In terms of knife crime, you only think it happens in America. It is so soul destroying.

“My reaction was ‘oh my gosh, the poor children; and how many people is that event going to effect? It is horrific.

“I don’t think teachers are walking into work thinking they now have to be careful. I would say it will be in the backs of everybody’s minds.

“But schools are not prisons and we shouldn’t have to go down that route.”

Frank Robinson, chairman of Bradford Retired Teachers Association, taught PE for 30 years at schools in the city.

Rather than stepping up security in schools, he suggests a “programme of awareness”, encouraging pupils to report back to staff anything they regard as suspicious.

Mrs Maguire was described as a cornerstone of the community at Corpus Christi school in Leeds and a dedicated member of staff who had taught there for more than 40 years. She is said to have been only months away from retirement.

Steve Mort, headteacher of Corpus Christi school, has said his view on security in schools is that ‘scanning arches’ are not necessary. He said people had to remember this was an “isolated” and “unprecedented” incident.

“And I think ultimately Ann Maguire herself, if she was asked that question, would strongly oppose any suggestion that we should have metal detectors in this school,” he said.

Glyn Kenyon, Bradford Association of Teachers and Lecturers assistant branch secretary, says: “It is very difficult to comprehend that such an incident is capable of happening in our society. It is common knowledge that teachers are exposed to violence at work whether it be physical or verbal from children across the sectors. We do not know the details of what underpinned this particular horrific attack, but we all know the pressures that teachers and students are put under, especially students of this age group in the run-up to the exams.

“Keeping schools safe and secure is paramount and the debate as to how far measures should go are ongoing. The Bradford authority has always been keen to record attacks on teachers, both physical and verbal. However, with the onset of academies and free schools, this information is not as robust because they have no requirements to report incidents that happen. It is hard to tackle the issue if such problems are not brought to the surface.

“There is a fear culture that such behaviours are a measure on the school and therefore it is better to hide it if possible. The statistical approach to measure the performance of a school does nothing to help schools improve their ability to handle the problems of today’s society that are often brought into schools.”

He adds: “In relation to our Bradford schools, most now have security fencing that secure the grounds from any external intrusion and also restrict pupils’ movements within the grounds. What pupils bring to school with them is a much bigger problem. How far do we go to enforce measures will be the ongoing debate.”

Meanwhile, staff and pupils at Corpus Christi school are still coming to terms with Mrs Maguire’s death. Floral tributes are gathering outside the school with tributes from the many lives the 61-year-old touched.

West Yorkshire Police said a 15-year-old boy who was arrested at the school has been charged with murder.